LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — A tragic shooting at Dennis Prince Law Group in Summerlin resulted in the deaths of attorney Dennis Prince and his wife, Ashley Prince. The shooter was identified as Joe Houston II, a fellow attorney and the grandfather of Ashley’s children from a previous marriage to Dylan Houston, another local attorney. Joe Houston represented his son Dylan in a custody dispute against Ashley, who was represented by her husband Dennis.
The incident took place during a deposition attended by at least seven people. Following the tragedy, District Court Judge Bill Henderson awarded custody of Dylan and Ashley’s children to Ashley’s sister, citing the potential harm to the children if they were placed with their father Dylan, particularly in light of the actions of Dylan’s father, Joe.
Joe Houston reportedly took his own life after the attack. It was later disclosed by sources that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. The conflict at the heart of the shooting stemmed from a custody battle that began when Ashley sought to modify the initial equal custody agreement with Dylan after their 2017 marriage and subsequent divorce four years later. Dylan had been subjected to regular drug and alcohol testing and was required to keep a distance from Ashley’s home and workplace.
Ashley and Dennis Prince had also recently celebrated the birth of their first child together, making this incident all the more tragic.